Insulated door for refrigerator cars and the like



June 29, 1954 H. H. HENRlcKs ETAL INSULATED DOOR FOR REFRIGERATOR CARSAND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 30, 1950 `5 sheets-sheet 1 V.. s T N \5 EA HH H@M HC B June 29, 1954 H. H. HENRlcKs ET AL 2,682,323

INSULATED DOOR FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 50. 1950$58 a3 AT-TY June 29, 1954 H. H. HENRlcKs ET AL INSULATED DooR FORREFRIGERATOR CARS AND THE L11@ Filed Aug. so, 195o s sheets-sheet 3 v vi l J. vlNvEN-rozsw HAROLD H. HENRlCKS Patented June 29, 1954 UNITEDSTATES ATENT OFFICE INSULATED DOOR FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS AND THE LIKE ofOhio Application August 30, 1950, Serial No. 182,226

6 Claims.

This invention relates to insulated doors for refrigerator cars and thelike and more particularly to sliding doors of this type.

It is an object of this invention to provide doors for refrigerator carswhich shall weigh less and cost less than similar doors nowmanufactured, which shall standardize construction, be better insulated,and save time and cost in the application and replacement of door`sealing means.

A further object is to provide doors for refrigerator cars which shallobtain a reduction in the amount of wood used.

A further object is to provide doors for refrigerator cars wherein theStiles and rails of the door frame are formed of metallic members.

A further object is to provide doors for refrigerator cars wherein thebasic structure of the doors is standardized and variations in depth ofdoor are obtained without modification of the basic structure.

A further object is to provide doors for refrigerator cars carryingmarginal sealing means so applied as to insure continuous contact withthe door opening and which is capable of quick and easy application andreplacement.

A further object is to provide doors for refrigerator cars having a doorframe so constructed as to provide a channel for retaining sealing meansfor the door.

A further object is to provide doors for refrigerator cars soconstructed that the insulation for the doors shall not requirefastening means.

A further object is to provide doors for refrigerator cars wherein theinsulation for the doors shall be self -supporting A further object isto provide doors for refrigerator cars wherein the insulation for thedoors shall be of substantially uniform thickness throughout so as toavoid the loss of insulating value which occurs when the insulation iscom- .l

pressed.

A further object is to provide doors for refrigerator cars which shallincorporate sealing means around the doors disposed inwardly of themetallic frame for the doors so as to form a barrier to the passage ofheat which the frame tends to conduct to the interior of the cars.

Other objects of the invention will become clear as the descriptionthereof proceeds.

In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a door embodying the instant invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4--4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section similar to Fig. 2 showing anotherembodiment of the door.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 4 of the door shown in Fig.5.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs.1 to 4, inclusive, the refrigerator car door shown is designated as awhole by the reference numeral I0. The door Ill embodies a metallicpanel l I formed preferably of two sheets I2 and I3 which extend fromtop to bottom of the door and which are jointed together as by means ofriveting as shown at I4 along the center of the door as is illustratedmore clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The metallic panel II isreinforced by a metallic frame formed of front and rear stiles I5 and IEand upper and lower rails il and I8. The stiles I5 and I6 embody outeroutwardly extending flanges I9 and ZEI, which are flanged inwardly asindicated at 2l and 22; inwardly converging webs 23 and 24 and innerinwardly extending anges 25 and 26 which lie in spaced parallelrelationship to the metallic panel Il. Adjacent to the anges I9 and 20,the webs 423 and 24 of the stiles for a distance substantially equal tothe length of the flanges 2l and 22 lie parallel to the latter flangesand substantially at right angles to the metallic panel as indicated at2l and 28. These portions of the webs 23 and 24 cooperate with theflanges I9 and 2G and the flanges 2 I and y22 to provide a channelshapedportion within which the door sealing means hereinafter described issafely retained.

The upper and lower rails of the door frame embody outer outwardlyextending flanges 2t and 36 flanged inwardly as indicated at 3l and 32;inward-ly extending converging webs 33 and li and inner inwardlyextending flanges 35 and 36 which lie in spaced parallel relationship tothe metallic panel I I. Adjacent to the metallic panel the webs 33 and34 are bent as indicated at 3l and .it so as to lie parallel to theflanges 3l and 32 at substantially a right angle to the metallic panel.The portions 37 and 38 thereby cooperate with the flanges 29 and 30 andthe flanges SI and 32 to provide channel-shaped portions within whichthe aforementioned sealing means for the door is safely retained.

Additional reinforcement is provided for the metallic panel. Asubstantially channel-shaped member 39 having outturned flanges Lit and4l secured to the metallic panel as by means of riveting extendshorizontally between the stiles i and I6. A channel-shaped member 42having outturned reinforcing flanges 43 and 44 extends across the jointI4 and between the lower rail I8 and the reinforcing member 39 to whichit is secured as by means of riveting. The reinforcing member 42 issecured to the metallic panel by the same means which join the sheets I2and I3 of the panel together. An angle member 45 extends along the jointI4 between the reinforcing member 39 and the upper rail i1 and issecured to the metallic panel by the same means which join the sheets I2and I3 of the panel together.

A weather plate 45 provided with spaced indentures 41 is secured to theupper margin of the metallic panel II and extends above the upper edgeof the door as is shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The metallic panel II, the metallic Stiles I5 and I6 and the metallicrails I1 and I9 provide an effective cavity within which insulatingmaterial for the door is disposed. As shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and3 of the drawings, the insulating material is in the form of sheets 58and 49 which are of such length and height as to lie in engagement withthe Stiles and rails. The insulating material is flexible and is of suchcharacter as to be self-supporting and to resist settling undervibration. It has been found that insulating sheets made of SAL# densitysuperfine Fiberglas are well adapted as insulation for the door. Thelength of the sheets of insulation is in excess of the distance betweenthe webs of the Stiles of the door frame so that as shown in Figs. 2 and3 of the drawings the sheets are sinuous in cross section as indicatedslightly exaggerated at 55 and 5I. Each of the insulating sheets isthereby made more self-sustaining by reason of the column action of thesinuous portions of the sheets. Furthermore, no extraneous fasteningmeans extending through the insulating sheets which would producecompression and loss of insulating quality are required. The insulationwhich extends from the panel to the inwardly extending flanges 25 and 23of the stiles and the inwardly extending flanges 35 and 35 of the railsis retained within the door cavity by means of a non-metallic cover 52spliced as indicated at 53 and lying upon and secured to the inwardlyextending anges of the stiles and rails. It has been found that temperedMasonite is best adapted as a cover for the insulation.

Sealing means is provided for the marginal portions of the door. Thesealing means is formed of vertical and horizontal sealing strips 54,55, 55 and 51 which are non-metallic and preferably formed of rubber.Where the sealing strips meet they are mitered and vulcanized togetherin order to form a unitary sealing means which is received and securedwithin the channel-shaped portions hereinabove described of the stilesand rails. These channel-shaped portions effectively retain the sealingmeans and in order to secure the latter within these portions metallicplates and truss-head bolts are utilized.

As illustrated each of the sealing strips is substantially tubular insection and is provided with inturned flanges 58 and 59 spaced from eachother. Metallic plates E0, 6I, 52 and G3 are disposed upon the flanges58 and 59 of the sealing strips. These plates carry nuts as shown at 54,65, 55 and 61 retained thereon by means of spring caps as indicated at98, B9, 10 and 1I which extend through rectangular openings formed in 4the plates so as to be interlocked with the plates. Truss-head boltssuch as 12, 13, 14 and 15, extend through the panel, outturned anges ofthe stiles and rails, between the inturned anges of the sealing strips,and through the plates 60, 6I, 52 and 63 and the nuts 64, 65, 66 and 51.The sealing strips are thereby firmly secured and since the truss-headfbolts are accessible from the outside of the door the sealing stripsmay readily be replaced when necessary. The fastening means per se forthe sealing strips hereinabove described form no part of the instantinvention.

By reason of the instant invention the portion of the door hereinabovedescribed is standardized for any given length and height of dooropening. To complete the door structure wooden nailing strips 16 and 11are secured to and along the inturned flanges 25 and 2G of the stiles I5and I6. The nailing strips 16 and 11 are disposed upon the Masonitecover 52 and are fastened in position by means of bolts and nuts such as18 and 19 which are similar in construction to the bolts 12, 13, 14 and15 and nuts 84, 55, 55 and 61 utilized in the securement of the sealingstrips. Spaced nailing blocks and `8l are similarly secured as by meansof bolts 82 upon the cover 52 to the inwardly extending inner flange 35of the upper rail I1. Additional spaced nailing blocks 83 and 84 andnailing strip 85 which extends along joint I4 are secured upon the cover52 by similar bolts B6 which extend through the webs 81, 88 and 89 ofchannel-shaped clips 90, 9| and 92 secured as by means of welding to thehorizontal reinforcing member 39. Nailing strip is additionallysimilarly secured to the flanges 35 and 36 of the rails. An inner lining93 is fastened as by means of nails to the nailing strips and nailingblocks described hereinabove. The lining 93 normally terminates abovethe lower edge of the door as indicated at 94. By reason of thisconstruction variations in the depth of the door which depend upon thedepth of the wall of the car may be obtained by varying the thickness ofthe nailing strips and nailing blocks without disturbing the structureof the balance of the door. Moreover, by the employment of thechannel-shaped clips 90, 9| and 92, replacement of the lining 93 or ofthe nailing strips or nailing blocks and replacement of the cover 52 ifnecessary may be had without disturbing the balance of the door or theinsulation for the door.

In order to prevent the passage of heat from the outside of the car intothe interior thereof by conduction through the reinforcing framenon-metallic strips 95, 96, 91 and 98 are provided. These strips arepreferably formed of canvas folded so as to provide two plies ofmaterial and disposed between the inner inwardly extending flanges ofthe stiles and rails and the non-metallic cover plate 52 where they aresecured by means of the bolts 1B, 19 and 82. The folded portions of thecanvas strips project outwardly beyond the stiles and rails of the doorframe and are adapted when the door is seated within the door opening tocontact the door opening.

Where the contact between the sealing means on the door and the doorframe occurs in a plane closer to the longitudinal center line of thecar, the door illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 may be utilized. The doorwhich is essentially similar in construction to the door hereinabovedescribed differs therefrom by utilizing inturned marginal flanges 99,|00, IOI and |02 on the Ametallic panel which are of greater length thanthe inturned marginal flanges lil3, |04, |05 and |05 of the previouslydescribed door. Also the stiles |01 and |58 and the rails |09 and IIII,which are similar in section to the stiles and rails of the previouslydescribed door, are not as deep as the stiles I5 and I6 and rails Il andI8. By this construction of the stiles and rails the sealing stripshereinabove described lie closer to the longitudinal center line of thecar.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings the stiles and rails arespaced from the metallic panel and are maintained in such spacedrelationship by the continuously extending substantially channel-shapedvertical members III and I I2 and the continuously extendingsubstantially channel-shaped horizontal members IIB and II4. The spacingmembers III and. IIZ embody webs II 5 and IIS which lie at right anglesto the panel, inwardly extending outer ilanges ill and IIB secured tothe metallic panel as by means of welding, inwardly extending innerflanges H9 and I2!! secured to the outer outwardly extending flanges ofthe stiles |07 and |63, and inwardly extending flanges |2I and |22 whichare secured as by means of welding to the webs of the stiles. Similarlythe horizontal spacing members IIB and |I4 embody webs |23 and |24,inwardly extending outer flanges and IE6, inwardly extending innerflanges I2'I and |28 and inwardly extending flanges |29 and ISI). Themarginal flanges 99 and |00 of the metallic panel are secured as bymeans of welding to the inturned marginal flanges of the stiles III'Iand |08 while the inturned marginal flanges IIlI and |02 of the metallicpanel are secured as by means of welding to the inturned marginalflanges of the rails |09 and IIU. By virtue of this construction themetallic panel, the outer outturned flanges of the stiles IIl'I and HI8,the inturned flanges 99 and IDI! of the metallic panel and the webs H5and IIS of the spacing members III and H2 cooperate to form sturdytubular constructions 3| and |32 at the front and rear margins of thedoor. Similar tubular constructions |33 and |34 are formed along theupper and lower margins oi' the door as is shown more clearly in Fig. 6of the drawings.

As in the ilrst described embodiment of the invention the Ihereinabovedescribed structure of the door illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 is basic.rlhe door may be completed by the addition of the nailing strips andblocks and the inner lining previously described, and the desired depthof door obtained by varying the thickness of the nailing strips andblocks without disturbing the basic structure of the door.

The same sealing means as described may be used upon the door shown inFigs. 5 and 6 and secured thereto in the stated manner. As noted hereinthe strips of which the sealing means is formed are vulcanized togetherto form a uniu tary sealing means. This is accomplished prior to theapplication and securement of the sealing means upon the door, and thelengths of the strips of the sealing means are such that it is necessaryto stretch these strips to properly apply the sealing means. The tensionto which the sealing strips is subjected insures continuous contactbetween the sealing means and the frame of the door opening.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in thedetails of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art. Itis intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes becomprehended within this invention which is to be limited only by thescope of the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

l. An insulated door for refrigerator and the like cars comprising anouter metallic panel, a marginal reinforcing frame for said panel formedof metallic stiles and rails, said stiles and rails having outeroutwardly directed flanges secured to said panel, inwardly extendingwebs and inner inwardly directed flanges spaced from said panel,insulation lying between said panel and said inner flanges and betweensaid stiles and rails, a non-metallic member extending between andsecured to said inner flanges of said stiles and rails, said memberretaining said insulation in position, and a non-metallic heat barriersecured between said inner flanges and said meniber and projectingoutwardly of said webs of said stiles and rails.

2. An insulated door for refrigerator and the like cars comprising anouter metallic panel, a marginal reinforcing frame for said panel formedof metallic stiles and rails, said stiles and rails having outeroutwardly directed flanges secured to said panel, inwardly extendingwebs and inner inwardly directed flanges spaced from said panel,insulation lying between said panel and said inner flanges and betweensaid stiles and rails, a non-metallic member extending between andsecured to said inner flanges of said stiles and rails, said memberretaining said insulation in position, said outer flanges of said stilesand rails having inwardly directed flanges cooperating with said outerflanges and the adjacent portions of said webs to provide substantiallychannel-shaped recesses, and sealing means seated in said recesses.

3. An insulated door for refrigerator and the like cars comprising anouter metallic panel, a marginal reinforcing frame for said panel formedof metallic stiles and rails, said stiles and rails having outeroutwardly directed ilanges secured to said panel, inwardly extendingwebs and inner inwardly directed flanges spaced from said panel, ahorizontal reinforcing member extending between the webs of said stilesand secured to the inner face of said panel, spaced clips secured tosaid reinforcing member, a non-metallic member abutting said clips andextending between and overlapping said inner flanges of said stiles andrails, said member retaining said insulation in position, nailingmembers abutting said member in juxtaposed position to said clips andsaid inner flanges of said stiles and upper rail, bolts securing saidnailing members to said inner ilanges and said clips and an innernonmetallic wall secured to said nailing members.

4. An insulated door for refrigerator and the like cars comprising anouter metallic panel, a marginal reinforcing frame for said panel formedof metallic stiles and rails, said stiles and rails having outeroutwardly directed flanges, inwardly extending webs and inner inwardlydirected flanges, said stiles and rails being spaced inwardly of saidpanels, metallic members extending continuously between and secured tosaid panel and said stiles and rails, said stiles and rails and saidpanel having inwardly directed marginal flanges spaced from saidmetallic members, and means securing said marginal flanges together,said outer flanges of said stiles and rails, metallic members, panel andmarginal panel flanges providing a marginal box section.

5. An insulated door for refrigerator and the like cars comprising anouter metallic panel, a tubular metallic construction extending aroundthe margins of said panel, vertical and horizontal flanges extendinginwardly from said tubular construction at an angle to said panel,flanges extending inwardly from said latter flanges in spacedsubstantially parallel relationship to said panel, insulation disposedbetween said tubular construction and vertical and horizontal flangesand extending from said panel to said second mentioned inwardlyextending flanges, a non-metallic member extending between and securedto said latter flanges to retain said insulation in position, andsealing means seated upon and secured to said tubular constructionaround said door in inwardly spaced relationship to said panel.

6. An .insulated door for refrigerator and the like cars comprising anouter metallic panel, a channel extending around the margins of saidpanel and embodying inwardly directed legs, a shoulder provided on oneof said legs, a metallic member seated on said shoulder, said memberextending to the other of said legs, means securing said member inposition so that said member cooperates with said channel to form atubular construction, vertical and horizontal References Cited in theille 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,478,400Rowley et al. Dec. 25, 1923 1,748,942 Barrows Mar. 4, 1930 1,832,903Holbrook Nov. 24, 1931 1,892,708 Schwarz Jan. 3, 1933 2,153,204 OlsonApr. 4, 1939 2,219,962 Reynolds Oct. 29, 1940 2,264,536 Kuenzli Dec. 2,1941 2,280,254 Nave Apr. 21, 1942 2,612,659 OConnor Oct, '7, 1952

